After the War
by KJtheELMtree
Summary: Songfic to "Long Live," Taylor Swift. Post- Giant War, but has some of Titan War too. Slightly funny, slightly sad. Oh heck JUST READ! *random thought* There should be a category for Reminiscing, shouldn't there?


Songfic to "Long Live," by Taylor Swift. I was listening and couldn't resist. I DO NOT OWN THIS SONG!

-Beth M

~LINE BREAK OF AWESOMENESS~

_I said remember this moment _

_In the back of my mind _

Percy sat on Fireworks Beach, remembering everything, from the day he'd found out he was a demigod to that very Monday, when they won the Giant War.

_The time we stood with our shaking hands _

He remembered how scared he'd been, returning Zeus's stolen lightning bolt to Olympus. He remembered how hard it had been to say "no" to the gods' offer of immortality.

_The crowds in stands went wild_

Jason sat on his bunk, thinking of the reception they'd gotten coming back to the States. Everyone had been waiting for them; the Greeks and Romans had called off the war to welcome back the kids- _kids_- who saved them.

_We were the kings and the queens_

He remembered how it had felt to become praetor.

_And they read off our names_

He remembered getting his reward for defeating Krios.

_The night you danced like you knew our lives_

_Would never be the same_

He remembered how Reyna had danced at the party afterwards- she had danced like no one was watching, even though almost everyone that mattered was.

_You held your head like a hero_

_On a history book page_

They were heroes; they would always be heroes.

_It was the end of a decade_

August eighteenth, two thousand ten- the day the Titan War had ended. July fourteenth, two thousand eleven- the day the Giant War ended.

_But the start of an age_

An age where all of these kids who'd once thought that they meant nothing, that they had never had a chance and shouldn't even try, were heroes. An age of second chances, an age of friendship, an age of survivors.

_Long live the walls we crashed through_

Long live Olympus, long live the Twelfth Legion, long live Camp Half-Blood.

_All the kingdom lights shined just for me and you_

Long live how the Empire State Building was lit up every single night for one reason or another- and how on two nights in less than a year, it had glowed blue; not for a cause, not for a holiday, but to celebrate. It was blue for a handful of young saviors who most of the mortal world would merely dismiss as troublemakers and thieves.

_I was screaming long live all the magic we made_

Long live everything they'd done- everything that anyone sane, anyone who didn't know about their world, would call impossible. Like a chance meeting at the Hoover Dam turning into something much, much more- a girl's sanity saved, just a little bit of romance, and eventually, a new Oracle.

_And bring on all the pretenders _

_One day, we will be remembered_

These former nobodies would be remembered for as long as Olympus lasted.

_I said remember this feeling_

Piper remembered the rush of killing her first monster. She remembered how it had felt to be completely concentrated on one thing, the most important of all, and how it had felt to look up and realize that everything was all over.

She remembered that she'd almost been sad.

_I passed the pictures around_

Leo sat on his bunk, balancing a photo album. His album. There was him as a little boy with his mother, pictures of his foster families, pictures of everything he'd made.

_Of all the years that we stood there on the sidelines_

_Wishing for right now_

But in every picture after his mother had died, there'd been a look in his eyes that screamed wanting something more.

_We are the kings and the queens_

_You traded your baseball cap for a crown_

Annabeth would always remember how she'd become the official architect of Olympus. A crown, if ever there was one.

_When they gave us our trophies_

_And we held them up for our town_

Hazel remembered her gifts afterward- she'd been allowed to stay alive.

Frank remembered that he was still alive, too, much to his surprise. He hadn't expected to last this long.

And they were both surprised that they still had each other.

_And the cynics were outraged_

_Screaming, "This is absurd!"_

Sure, there had been doubters. There had always been doubters, from Nancy Bobofit to Lord Ares.

_'Cause for a moment a band of thieves in ripped-up jeans got to rule the world_

But that didn't matter. Because for now, they were heroes, even if they were just kids. They'd survived everything. Everything.

_Long live the walls we crashed through_

Long live their defiance when someone told them they wouldn't make it.

_All the kingdom lights shined just for me and you_

Long live how they had been celebrated, as if some of their mistakes hadn't nearly cost everything.

_I was screaming long live all the magic we made_

Long live Percy and Annabeth, long live Frank and Hazel, long live Jason and Piper.

_And bring on all the pretenders, I'm not afraid_

Bring on Octavian, with his fear and bigotry. Bring on Clarisse, with her hidden soft side. Bring on Drew- who knew what had been done to her, to make her this cold?

_Long live all the mountains we moved_

Long live Mount Everest- where the earth met the sky- it had nearly fallen. Long live the mountains that defined Greece. Long live the original Mount Olympus, which held memories even for mortals.

_I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you_

Long live Festus; long live the Argo II.

_I was screaming long live the look on your face_

Long live how they had felt when they realized they'd won.

_And bring on all the pretenders _

Long live Coach's bravado, long live Reyna's poker face, long live how Leo always tried to bluff his way through.

_One day, we will be remembered_

They knew they would be, there was no question about it.

_Hold on to spinning around_

They remembered the feeling of plunging headlong into the future without a clue.

_Confetti falls to the ground_

They remembered the aftermath- the cost as well as the joy.

_May these memories break our fall_

They remembered how reliving the best memories had carried them through.

_Will you take a moment_

_Promise me this_

_That you'll stand by me forever_

_But if God forbid fate should step in_

They had been through so much, together, they couldn't imagine being separated.

_And force us into a goodbye_

_If you have children someday_

_When they point to the pictures_

_Please tell them my name_

They knew that they would tell their children the story of the Giant War, about how Leo always fought the instinct to run, about how Piper always knew what to say, about the ways they cheered Annabeth up when she messed up, about Frank's unintended humor, about how Hazel always did her best to make friends, about Percy and all his exploits.

_Tell them how the crowds went wild_

They would tell them about the sight of so much joy against a backdrop of so much destruction.

_Tell them how I hope they shine_

They would tell them that even if they accomplished just half as much as their parents did, that would be enough.

_Long live the walls we crashed through _

_I had the time of my life with you_

They'd had plenty of good times together, had weathered the worst. But soon they'd be separated by mere geography. But not just by barriers of terrain- barriers constructed inside minds. Barriers that none of them had anymore…

… not after getting to know "the other."

_Long, long live the walls we crashed through_

Long live every battlement broken, every window shattered, every building turned to rubble while fighting Gaea's servants.

_All the kingdom lights shined just for me and you _

Long live the sun shining in the sky, that almost didn't rise.

_I was screaming long live all the magic we made _

Long live how they had fought through the night and into the morning.

_And bring on all the pretenders, I'm not afraid_

Let other people say different- after facing down everything from bullies to Mother Earth herself, they weren't afraid of anything. Except maybe spiders.

_Singing long live all the mountains we moved_

Long live all the obstacles they had gotten over, under, around, through…

_I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you_

Long live the fear when each of them faced their first monsters; long live how each of them had faced what they were afraid of most and never backed down.

_And long, long live the look on your face_

Long live their grief, long live their fear, long live their joy, long live their hope.

_And bring on all the pretenders_

So bring on the liars, bring on the betrayals, bring on the facades.

_One day, we will be remembered_

Long live Rachel, who blew her nose at exactly the right moment.

Long live Sally, who made the world's greatest chocolate chip cookies.

Long live Gleeson Hedge, who could think of no better title than "Coach."

Long live Paul, who didn't believe until he couldn't deny it anymore.

Long live Reyna, who worked behind the scenes to minimize the damage.

Long live Nico, who after two and a half years still cried himself to sleep at night.

Long live Percy, who considered his being on the swim team cheating.

Long live Annabeth, who had survived the worst anyone could go through.

Long live Jason, who started his journey at the age of two.

Long live Hazel, who had gotten not one but three second chances.

Long live Frank, the soccer star.

Long live Piper, who never realized she was beautiful.

Long live Leo, who finally didn't have to run.

Long live everyone who knew, everyone who fought in the wars. Long live the dreams, long live the glory, long live the memories, long live their story.

But most of all, long live the Heroes of Olympus.

~LINE BREAK OF AWESOMENESS~

A/N: Hey, so I figured putting this up would appease all you folks out there waiting on Heavens Fall. Just to let you know, if I don't get that chapter up today or tomorrow, feel free to track me down and pelt my house with eggs. Actually, don't. That would be way too creepy of you.

Song of the chapter: "Fifteen," Taylor Swift, because I'm officially dating someone for the first time.

LONG LIVE THE MARK MORRIS HIGH SCHOOL KNOWLEDGE BOWL TEAM! ON TO VICTORY DEC. 5!

Seriously. We won last night. Awesomeness.

Didn't take me that long to fix this, did it? :)

-Beth M


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